Assembly and Method for Introducing a Reducing Agent into the Exhaust Pipe of an Exhaust System of an Internal Combustion Engine

ABSTRACT

An assembly and method for introducing a reducing agent into an exhaust pipe of an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle includes a feed connector which opens into the exhaust pipe and has a wall; a feed device for reducing agents which opens into the feed connector; and a device that generates a gas flow which is additional to the reducing agent flow and lines the wall of the feed connector.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is the U.S. national phase application of PCT/EP2008/005170, filed 25 Jun. 2008, which claims priority to German Application Serial No. 10 2007 034 316.9, filed 24 Jul. 2007, and German Application Serial No. 20 2008 001 547.2, filed 4 Feb. 2008.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an assembly for introducing a reducing agent into the exhaust pipe of an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle. The present invention further relates to a method of introducing a reducing agent into the exhaust pipe of an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle.

To comply with specifications relating to environmental laws, exhaust gases such as those of motor vehicles driven by internal combustion engines need to be subjected to a purification. In particular, for nitrogen oxide reduction, so-called “SCR catalytic converters” (also referred to as denitrification catalysts) are increasingly employed, which selectively reduce nitrogen oxides (NO_(x)) generated in the engine during combustion to form water and nitrogen with the aid of ammonia (NH₃) intermediately stored in the SCR catalytic converter. The provision of the ammonia required for the selective catalytic reduction is effected by a hydrolysis of urea which is added to the exhaust gas usually in a dissolved form.

Systems known from the prior art utilize an injection valve, for example a low-pressure fuel injection valve, to introduce an aqueous urea solution into the exhaust pipe upstream of an SCR catalytic converter. Such valves produce a fine mist of urea in the region of the valve tip which may deposit on the wall of the exhaust pipe. This is a problem, in particular for low-load, low-temperature operation of the internal combustion engine, in which the deposits are not vaporized again and may eventually completely block the exhaust pipe.

The present invention provides an assembly and a method for introducing a reducing agent into the exhaust pipe of an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, which allow urea deposits to be avoided or at least greatly reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An assembly includes a feed connector which opens into an exhaust pipe and has a wall, a feed device for reducing agents which opens into the feed connector, and a device that generates a gas flow which is additional to the reducing agent flow and lines the wall of the feed connector. This additional gas flow (which is also different from a main exhaust gas flow in the exhaust pipe) is at least largely free of reducing agent and prevents any mist produced upon injection of a reducing agent from depositing on the walls of both the feed connector and the exhaust pipe.

The additional gas flow may be fresh air, in particular compressed air. To this end, a compressed air pipe available in the vehicle is preferably made use of for supplying the device.

Alternatively or additionally, the additional gas flow may be exhaust gas which is branched off from the main exhaust gas flow preferably upstream of a turbocharger, as a result of which a desirable increased pressure is available in the exhaust gas.

According to one example of the invention, the device includes an inlet opening for the gas flow, which is in fluid communication with, e.g., a fresh air duct or the exhaust pipe.

The inlet opening may be arranged in the wall of the feed connector.

It is also possible for the inlet opening to be formed in a region of an orifice of the feed connector into the exhaust pipe. Preferably, the inlet opening is then situated on the side of the orifice that is upstream with respect to the exhaust gas flow, that is, part of the exhaust gas flow from the exhaust pipe flows through the inlet opening into the region of the orifice of the feed connector. The device can also include a guide member which is arranged in the feed connector to dictate the desired direction for the additional gas flow.

Preferably, the guide member extends from the feed device at least partially along the wall of the feed connector. In the region of the feed device or a mount for the feed device, the guide member more particularly rests directly against the wall. This prevents any reducing agent from reaching an area between the guide member and the wall.

The guide member may line the wall of the feed connector, a gap being formed at least in sections between the wall and the guide member. Preferably, both the wall and the guide member are of a conical shape, the wall having the larger opening angle towards the orifice. In this way, a gap that becomes increasingly larger is produced towards the orifice of the feed connector; the additional gas flow is conducted through this gap.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the guide member projects at least partially into the exhaust pipe. In this example, the guide member is made to be particularly long and additionally serves as a wall that is heated by the gas flow and causes a vaporization of any deposits. As an alternative, the guide member may also be configured to be very short and serve exclusively for steering the gas flow.

Advantageously, a section of the guide member extends into the exhaust pipe on the side of the orifice that is upstream with respect to the exhaust gas flow. As already mentioned above, an inlet opening is formed in this way, which directs part of the exhaust gas flow into the feed connector to form the additional gas flow. Alternatively or additionally, it is, of course, also possible for a section of the guide member to extend into the exhaust pipe on the side of the orifice that is downstream with respect to the exhaust gas flow.

The guide member may include a continuously surrounding peripheral wall. It is likewise conceivable that the guide member lines only a partial region of the feed connector with respect to the periphery, such as, e.g., a region that is especially susceptible to deposits.

In addition, the guide member may include one or more openings in its peripheral wall, through which the gas flow is guided into that region of the feed connector which is inside with respect to the guide member. Here, the use of a porous material is also conceivable. The guide member may, of course, also be designed without any openings, i.e. closed, in particular if the guide member is made rather short.

The device is preferably configured such that the gas flow is formed as a swirl flowing in the feed connector, something which enhances the mixing in the feed connector. This swirling of the gas flow in the feed connector may be attained by a suitably designed and arranged guide member and/or an oblique inlet opening.

More specifically, the feed connector is arranged at an angle of from 20° to 70° in relation to the exhaust pipe, which results in a particularly favorable distribution of the supplied reducing agent.

For a better mixing of the supplied reducing agent with the exhaust gas flow, a mixing element that causes a swirling of the exhaust gas flow is advantageously arranged in the exhaust pipe downstream of the feed connector.

The exhaust pipe may have a bend of approx. 20° to 70° in the region of the feed connector. Preferably, the bend of the exhaust pipe roughly corresponds to the angle between the exhaust pipe and the feed connector. It is also possible to arrange the feed connector on a section of the exhaust pipe extending in a straight line.

As already mentioned at the outset, the reducing agent more particularly is an aqueous urea solution or a solution of other substances releasing ammonia. The assembly can, however, also be employed to advantage when fuel is used as the reducing agent.

A particularly cost-effective configuration is obtained in that the feed device is an injection valve, in particular a low-pressure fuel injection valve.

A method of introducing a reducing agent into the exhaust pipe of an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle, is also provided. The method according to the invention includes the following steps:

generating a gas flow which is additional to the reducing agent flow and is at least largely free of reducing agent and lines a wall of a feed connector opening into the exhaust pipe; and

injecting the reducing agent with a feed device arranged on the feed connector.

As already discussed above in relation to the corresponding assembly, the reducing agent deposits occurring in the prior art are also effectively prevented by this method.

These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of several preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of an assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention for carrying out the method according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of an assembly according to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of an assembly according to a third embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of an assembly according to a fourth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of an assembly according to the prior art, which illustrates the problem underlying the invention;

FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of an assembly according to a fifth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 shows a sectional view on the feed connector according to the line VII-VII in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 shows an enlarged side view of the assembly according to the fifth embodiment, with the feed connector partly cut open.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 schematically shows an assembly 10 that introduces a reducing agent into an exhaust pipe 12 of an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine. In particular, the exhaust system of a motor vehicle is involved. The exhaust gas flow in the exhaust pipe 12 is denoted by S. The assembly 10 includes a feed connector 14 which is of a substantially conical configuration and opens into the exhaust pipe 12, preferably at an angle a of between 20° and 70°, and in the example shown is approximately 55°. An inside wall of the feed connector 14 is identified by reference number 16.

A feed device 20 for reducing agents is arranged in a mount 18 provided at an end of the feed connector 14 that is opposite to the exhaust pipe 12. The feed device 20 opens into the feed connector 14 and is an injection valve, in this case a low-pressure fuel injection valve. The reducing agent preferably is an aqueous urea solution which is introduced into the exhaust pipe 12 upstream of an SCR catalytic converter not shown in FIG. 1. Departing from the configuration shown, it is not absolutely necessary to provide a mount for the feed device 20; the latter may also be welded to the feed connector 14, for example. To avoid urea deposits D when the urea solution is introduced, as occur in feed devices 20 according to the prior art and are schematically shown in FIG. 5, the assembly 10 of FIG. 1 includes a device 22 which serves to generate a gas flow G that is additional to the reducing agent flow R, and lines the inside wall 16 of the feed connector 14.

The device 22 comprises at least one, in the present case a plurality of inlet openings 24 arranged in the wall 16 for the gas flow G which involves fresh air, more particularly compressed air, or else exhaust gas which is branched off upstream of a turbocharger not shown in the Figure or else immediately upstream of the feed connector 14. The device 22 furthermore comprises a guide member 26 arranged in the feed connector 14.

To feed the ammonia required for nitrogen oxide reduction to an SCR catalytic converter connected downstream of the assembly 10, a gas flow G additional to the reducing agent flow R is generated in the region of the feed connector 14. The additional gas flow G is at least largely free of reducing agent and annularly lines the wall 16 of the feed connector 14. To this end, the gas flow G enters through the openings 24 into the feed connector 14 and is deflected by the guide member 26, so that the gas flow G flows along the wall 16 of the feed connector 14 and practically covers the wall 16 from the reducing agent flow R. At the same time, the reducing agent is injected into the feed connector 14 and thereby into the exhaust pipe 12 with the aid of the feed device 20. The guide member 26 directs the gas flow G such that the reducing agent flow R is, as it were, sheathed, and in this way prevents the fine mist of urea N developing at the tip of the feed device 20 from being able to deposit on the inside wall 16 of the feed connector 14 or on a wall of the exhaust pipe 12.

FIGS. 2 to 4 show further embodiments of the assembly 10 that are modified as compared with FIG. 1. Identical or functionally identical components will be denoted by the same reference numbers below, and only the differences from the assembly 10 described will be discussed.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 2, only one inlet opening 24 is provided, which is again arranged in the wall 16 of the feed connector 14 and is in fluid communication with a compressed air pipe of the vehicle, or with the exhaust pipe upstream of a turbocharger, or upstream of the reducing agent injection. The gas flow G flows through the inlet opening 24 and reaches a gap 28 formed between the wall 16 and the guide member 26. In the embodiment shown, the guide member 26 extends from the mount 18 for the feed device 20 (not shown here) along the wall 16 of the feed connector 14 and lines the wall 16. Just like the feed connector 14, the guide member 26 has a conical shape, but, compared with the region of the feed connector 14 close to the mount 18, the guide member 26 has a smaller opening angle towards the orifice into the exhaust pipe 12. In the embodiment shown, the guide member 26 extends over the entire length of the feed connector 14 and in the lower, downstream region even partly into the exhaust pipe 12. In this example, the guide member 26 extends up to a static mixing element 30 arranged downstream of the feed connector 14, with the guide member 26 serving as a heated wall which (in addition to directing the gas flow G) favors a vaporization of any deposits.

In the region of the feed connector 14, the exhaust pipe 12 has a bend the angle β of which likewise amounts to between 20° and 70°, and in the shown example is approximately 55°. Owing to the bend of the exhaust pipe 12 and the angled arrangement of the feed connector 14 in relation to the exhaust pipe 12, the reducing agent flow R flows roughly perpendicularly against the mixing element 30. The feed connector 14 may, of course, also be arranged on a section of the exhaust pipe 12 extending in a straight line (not shown).

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the assembly 10, in which the guide member 26 (as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1) is of a comparatively short configuration and extends only partly along the wall 16 of the feed connector 14 (at least in the lower, downstream region). On the side of the orifice of the feed connector 14 into the exhaust pipe 12 that is upstream in relation to the exhaust gas flow S, a bent section 32 of the guide member 26 extends into the exhaust pipe 12 and thereby defines an inlet opening 24 which directs part of the exhaust gas flow S into the feed connector 14, or into the gap 28 between the guide member 26 and the wall 16. The inlet opening 24 is thus formed in the region of the orifice of the feed connector 14 into the exhaust pipe 12 in this example. A separate inlet opening 24 for the gas flow G is not necessary, as a result of which a particularly simple design is obtained. As with the other embodiments shown so far, the guide member 26 has a closed peripheral wall 34.

As shown in FIG. 4, the guide member 26 may also have a plurality of openings 36 in its peripheral wall 34 to guide the gas flow G into the region of the feed connector 14 that is inside with respect to the guide member 26. Also conceivable is the use of a porous material to manufacture the guide member 26.

According to the embodiment as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the device is configured in such a way that the gas flow G is in the form of a swirl flowing in the feed connector 14, something which enhances the mixing of the reducing agent R in the gas flow G as early as in the feed connector 14. This swirling of the gas flow G in the feed connector 14 may be attained by a suitably configured and arranged guide member 26 and/or an oblique inlet opening. In the embodiment illustrated, the inlet opening 24 into the gap 28 is positioned so as to be eccentric (see FIG. 7), so that a swirl is already formed in the gap 28 which then impinges as such on the reducing agent R via an annular opening 38 between the beginning of the guide member 26 and the beginning of the connector 14. As seen in FIG. 8, attached to the guide member 26 is a helically bent, short deflection part 27 which is located between the guide member 26 and the feed connector 14 to direct the gas around the conical guide member 26 towards the annular opening 38. The deflection part 27 is to be considered a section of the guide member 26. The gas mixes with the reducing agent R and, also comes to lie against the inside of the tubular guide member 26, likewise in the form of a swirl. In this embodiment the guide member 26 is connected with the feed connector 14 at some points (not shown).

The assembly provides a solution that is simple to manufacture and therefore cost-effective, for avoiding any undesirable reducing agent deposits when a reducing agent is introduced into the exhaust pipe of an exhaust system.

In addition, it is at the discretion of a person skilled in the art to employ all of the features described above both individually and in combination with each other to achieve the object of the invention.

Although an embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention. 

1. An assembly that introduces a reducing agent into an exhaust pipe of an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle, comprising: a feed connector which opens into the exhaust pipe and includes a wall; a feed device which opens into the feed connector and introduces a reducing agent flow; and a device that generates an additional gas flow which is additional to the reducing agent flow and lines the wall of the feed connector.
 2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the additional gas flow is compressed fresh air.
 3. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the additional gas flow is exhaust gas.
 4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the device includes an inlet opening for the additional gas flow.
 5. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein the inlet opening is arranged in the wall of the feed connector.
 6. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein the inlet opening is formed in a region of an orifice of the feed connector into the exhaust pipe.
 7. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured such that the additional gas flow is formed as a swirl flowing in the feed connector.
 8. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the device includes a guide member arranged in the feed connector.
 9. The assembly according to claim 8, wherein the guide member extends from the feed device at least partially along the wall of the feed connector.
 10. The assembly according to claim 8, wherein the guide member lines the wall of the feed connector, a gap being formed at least in sections between the wall and the guide member.
 11. The assembly according to claim 8, wherein the guide member projects at least partially into the exhaust pipe.
 12. The assembly according to claim, wherein the device includes an inlet opening that is formed in a region of an orifice of the feed connector into the exhaust pipe, and wherein a section of the guide member extends into the exhaust pipe on a side of the orifice that is upstream with respect to the exhaust gas flow.
 13. The assembly according to claim 8, wherein the guide member includes a continuously surrounding peripheral wall.
 14. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the guide member includes one or more openings in the continuously surrounding peripheral wall.
 15. The assembly according to claim 8, wherein the guide member is arranged to deflect the additional gas flow to form a swirl flowing in the feed connector.
 16. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the feed connector is arranged at an angle of from 20° to 70° in relation to the exhaust pipe.
 17. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein downstream of the feed connector, a static mixing element is arranged in the exhaust pipe.
 18. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust pipe has a bend of approximately 20° to 70° in a region of the feed connector.
 19. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the reducing agent flow includes a reducing agent that is an aqueous urea solution.
 20. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the feed device a low-pressure fuel injection valve.
 21. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the additional gas flow is at least largely free of reducing agent and lines the wall of the feed connector opening into the exhaust pipe, and wherein the reducing agent is injected by the feed device which is arranged on the feed connector.
 22. The assembly according to claim 21, wherein additional gas flow forms a swirl provided in the feed connector.
 23. A method of introducing a reducing agent into an exhaust pipe of an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle, including the following steps: (a) generating a gas flow which is additional to a the reducing agent flow and is at least largely free of reducing agent and lines a wall of a feed connector opening into the exhaust pipe; and (b) injecting the reducing agent with a feed device arranged on the feed connector.
 24. (canceled) 